For innumerable evils have surrounded me: my iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of my head: therefore my heart fails me.
Read Chapter 40
Augustine of Hippo
AD 430
"Innumerable evils have compassed me about" (ver. 12). Who can number sins? Who can count his own sins, and those of others? A burden under which he was groaning, who said, "Cleanse Thou me from my secret faults; and from the faults of others, spare Thou Thy servant, O Lord." Our own are too little; those "of others" are added to the burden. I fear for myself; I fear for a virtuous brother, I have to bear with a wicked brother; and under such burthen what shall we be, if God's mercy were to fail? "But Thou, Lord, remove not afar off." Be Thou near unto us! To whom is the Lord near? "Even" unto them that "are of a broken heart." He is far from the proud: He is near to the humble. "For though the Lord is high, yet hath He respect unto the lowly." But let not those that are proud think themselves to be unobserved: for the things that are high, He "beholdeth afar off." He "beheld afar off" the Pharisee, who boasted himself; He was near at hand to succour the Publican, who made confession T...
My iniquities. That is, the sins of all mankind, which I have taken upon me. (Challoner) (Calmet)
The sins even of those who believe, are so numerous, that they cannot be seen in particular. We may faint at the sight of so many sins committed by Christians. (Worthington)
Forsaken me in the agony. (Calmet)
Christ had all the sins of mankind laid upon him. (Berthier)
He did not suffer to release those who were already damned; though they had received sufficient graces, in consequence of the merits of his future death. (Haydock)
Christ knew the number and enormity of sin. (Menochius)
But he would not disclose his knowledge. (Haydock) (Mark vi. 5.) (Menochius)
